Central wing panel for a flying vehicle and method of its control

Abstract

A central wing panel for a hybrid transportation vehicle for ground and air transportation configured to enable transitioning between an air mode and a ground mode. The central wing panel has a front frame section and a rear frame section connected by one or more cross members. The central wing panel is configured to rotate enabling adjustment of an angle of attack of the vehicle. The rear frame section is configured to rotate enabling coupling and uncoupling of the rear frame section from a first wing and a second wing for transitioning between the air mode and the ground mode. The central wing panel is also configured to allow rotation of ailerons and flaps so that they fold over onto the top front portion of the wings.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A central wing panel for a flying vehicle comprising a body and wings positioned on each side of the body, the central wing panel comprising:
 a support structure configured for connection to the body substantially in line with a longitudinal axis of the body; 
 a front transverse member at a front part of the support structure, and a rear transverse member at a rear part of the support structure, wherein the front and rear transverse members each have a substantially horizontal rotation axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body for rotation of the central wing panel; 
 a wing support member connected to the front transverse member and rotatable about the rotation axis of the front transverse member, the wing support member provided with a wing pivot connectors by which a front part of each wing is connected to the wing support member, each wing pivotable around a substantially vertical axis of a respective connector between a first wing position in which the wing extends substantially horizontally from the body, and a second wing position in which the wing lies substantially horizontally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body; 
 a wing locking member connected to the rear transverse member, the wing locking member movable by rotation about the rotation axis of the rear transverse member between a locked position, in which lock segments on the wing locking member engage with corresponding lock segments at a rear part of each wing to prevent movement of the wing from the first wing position to the second wing position, and a release position in which the lock segments are disengaged from the corresponding lock segments to allow movement of the wing between the first wing position and the second wing position; and 
 a first actuator for pivoting the support structure about the rotation axis of the front transverse member to adjust an angle of incidence of the wings when in the first wing position. 
 
     
     
       2. The central wing panel of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the support structure comprises: a front frame section defining the front transverse member and wing support member, and a rear frame section, defining the rear transverse member and wing locking member, connected by one or more cross members; and 
 wherein the wing pivot connectors are positioned near opposite ends of the front frame section and the rear frame section is configured to rotate about the rotation axis of the rear transverse member between the locked position and the release position. 
 
     
     
       3. The central wing panel of  claim 1 , further comprising at least a second actuator for moving the wings between the first and second wing positions. 
     
     
       4. The central wing panel of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator is configured to rotate the support structure up to an angle of 15 degrees. 
     
     
       5. The central wing panel of  claim 2 , further comprising at least a third actuator coupled to the rear frame section and configured to rotate the rear frame section about the rotation axis of the rear transverse member. 
     
     
       6. The central wing panel of  claim 5 , wherein the third actuator is configured to rotate the rear frame section up to an angle of 80 degrees. 
     
     
       7. A flying vehicle comprising a body and wings positioned on each side of the body, wherein the wings are mounted on the body by means of a central wing panel according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
       8. A hybrid transportation vehicle for ground and air transportation, comprising a body, a cabin, a tail, a set of wheels including steerable wheels and driven wheels, an engine, a propeller, and wings positioned on each side of the body, wherein the wings are mounted on the body by means of a central wing panel according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
       9. The flying vehicle of  claim 7 , wherein each wing includes a set of ailerons and a set of flaps connected to a trailing edge of the wing, and wherein the ailerons and the flaps are configured to rotate about an axis extending along the trailing edge between a deployed position in which the ailerons and flaps extend from the trailing edge, and a folded position in which the ailerons and flaps overly an upper surface of the wing. 
     
     
       10. The flying vehicle of  claim 9 , further comprising at least one actuator for rotating the ailerons and flaps between the deployed position and the folded position. 
     
     
       11. A method of operating the flying vehicle of  claim 7 , wherein the wings are initially in the first wing position, the method comprising:
 rotating the wing locking member from the locked position to the release position; 
 rotating each wing about a respective wing pivot connector of the wing between the first wing position and the second wing position; 
 operating the first actuator to tilt the support structure while the wings are moving between the first and second wing positions. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein each wing includes a set of ailerons and a set of flaps connected to a trailing edge of the wing, the method further comprising rotating the ailerons and the flaps about an axis extending along the trailing edge between a deployed position in which the ailerons and flaps extend from the trailing edge when the wing is initially in the first wing position, and a folded position in which the ailerons and flaps overly an upper surface of the wing when the wing begins to move to the second wing position. 
     
     
       13. A method of operating the flying vehicle of  claim 7 , wherein the wings are initially in the second wing position, the method comprising:
 rotating each wing about a respective wing pivot connector of the wing between the second wing position and the first wing position; 
 operating the actuator to tilt the support structure while the wings are moving between the second and first wing positions; and 
 rotating the wing locking member from the release position to the locked position. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein each wing includes a set of ailerons and a set of flaps connected to a trailing edge of the wing, the method further comprising: rotating the ailerons and the flaps about an axis extending along the trailing edge between a folded position in which the ailerons and flaps overly an upper surface of the wing when the wing is in the second wing position, and a deployed position in which the ailerons and flaps extend from the training edge when the wing is moved to the first wing position. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising following movement of the wings to the first wing position, operating the first actuator to tilt the support structure so as to adjust the incidence of the wings to a predetermined angle of attack in a direction of travel of the flying vehicle. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising operating the first actuator to tilt the support structure while the wings are moving between the first and second wing positions so that the wings clear any vertical tail sections of the vehicle when moving between the first and second wing positions.